Throttle valve



S. A. FOSTER THROTTLE VALVE Oct. 6, 1953 Filed Jan. 7, 1950 INVENTOR. 51/0551. 14. FOSTER ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 6, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF ICE THROTTLE VALVE Shu'bel A. Foster, Birmingham, Mich, asslgnor to Foster Engineering Company, Royal Oak, Mich, acorporation of Michigan Application January 7, 1950, Serial No."1371430 .2 Claims.

vents and needles are neither subject to variable adjustment nor are they conducive to "compensation for wear; they also plug easily and are diificult to clean without damaging the par-ts and have no integral construction or means suitable to prevent plugging or to dislodge a plug in the event of plugging.

With the foregoing in View, the primary object of the invention is to provide a needlepoint channel or groove throttling device which is variably adjustable as to the rate "or volume of liquid "flow and compensata'ble for wear to maintain a definite rate of liquid flow. I

.An object of the invention is to provide a heuid .fiow regulator which is easily positioned in a line to throttle the flow of liquid 'therethrough' An object of the invention is to provide a liquid flow throttle which has integral construction or means to prevent plugging.

An object of the invention is to provide a liquid flow throttle which has integral construe-' tion or means to clear itself if it should become plugged at each cycle of the device or at each time the device is moved from throttling to nonthrottling position.

An object of the invention is to provide a liquid flow throttle which is easily incorporated with either manual or automatic controls.

An object of the invention is to provide a houid flow throttle which is not conducive to damage in the event cleaning is necessary.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following description of a needle-point-channel throttle or regulator embodying the invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of the inven tive device with a portion thereof shown in crosssection to illustrate internal parts and construction showing the device in throttling condition.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the inventive device 90 degrees removed from the position shown in Fig. l. L

Fig. 3 is a partial view of the inventive device as seen in Fig. 1 showing the device in nonthrottling condition.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged "view of the central portion of the piston showing the needle-pointchannel or groove in longitudinal cross-section.

Fig. 5 is greatly enlarged view of the central portion of the piston showing the needle-pointchannel or groove in elevation; and

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of Fig. 5 taken on the line 65 thereof showing the needlepoint-channel or groove in end elevation.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like numerals refer to like and corresponding parts throughout the several views, the liquid regulator or throttle shown therein to illustrate the invention comprises an attaching bracket Ill, a base ll integral with the bracket It, a solenoid coil 12 mounted on the base It, posts 13 seated in the base l'l extending above the coil I2, a bar 1-4 mountedon and spanning the posts l3, a block or housing l5 mounted on the bar It preferably integral therewith and having a chamber axially disposed over the coil 12, a solenoid core l6 disposed within the solenoid coil I 2, a guide arm I! on the core 1'6, guides I8 channeling the core l6 via the arm ['7 in the guides IS, a wrist pin [9 positioned transversely in the arm i'l, connecting rods or links 20 on the pin I 9 extending above the block IS, a truss or arm 2! disposed between the upper ends of the links 20, a spring 22 disposed under compression between the block 15 and the truss or arm 2! normally lifting the core l5 out of the coil [2 viathe links 20, the pin l9, and the arm ll; a piston '23 endwise movably disposed in the chamber of the block l5, 0 rings 2:; disposed in'annular grooves in the piston 23 endwise sealing the piston '23 in the chamber of the block [5, a spring '25 disposed under compression between the lower end of the piston 23 and the arm I? or core It normally urging the piston 23 upwardly in the block 15, a set-screw 26 threaded in the truss or arm 2| relatively rotatably disposed on the upper end of the piston 23 for adjusting the piston 23 endwise relative to the block [5 against the spring 25, a key 2'! in the block [5 disposed in the keyway 28 of the piston 23 preventing relative rotation between the piston 23 and the block 15 but permitting limited en'dwise relative movement therebetween, a lock-nut it for securing the set-screw '26 in adjusted position, a collar 29 housing the spring 25 adapted to contact the bottom of the bar is to limit the upward travel of the piston 23 via the arm ll, links 2t, truss 2| and set-screw 26; steps so on the core [2 for limiting the downward travel of the piston 23 via the arm ll, links 20, truss 2!, and set-screw 2'6; liquid line fittings 3i threaded in the block Iii, an intake oil line 32 leading from the cylinder or machine to be regulated to one fitting 3|, an outlet liquid line 33 leading from the other fitting 3! to an oil reservoir or other suitable device, spaced orifices A and B in the housing or block i5 leading to the piston chamber of the block it, communicating with the intake liquid line 32 and outlet liquid line 33 respectively, a longitudinal groove or slot C in the piston 23 permitting free communication between the orifices A and B allowing free flow between the intake liquid line 32 and the outlet liquid line 33 when the piston 23 is in its upward position with the solenoid coil i2 not energized as urged by the spring 25 against the set-screw 25, as seen in Fig.3; a diminishing or feathering needle-point-channel or groove D on the piston 23 leading from they piston slot C at the channel Ds larger end to' termination or extinction on the surface of the piston 23 at a point removed from the slot C with the channel D diminishing in width and depth away from its point or" juncture with the slot C; the channel D restricting or throttling free communication between the orifices A and B when the piston 23 is in its downward position when the solenoid coil is energized as seen in 1 with the relation between the needlepoint-channel D and the orifice A being adjustable as to the point of communication on the diminishing cross-section of the channel D with the orifice A to selectively regulate or throttle the liquid flow between the lines 32 and 33 with the point of communication between the needlepoint-channel D and the orifice A being adjustable via the spring 25 and the set-screw 28 for selectively adjusting the downward travel of the piston is as activated by the energizing of the solenoid coil 12 via the arm 17, pin 19, links 251, truss 2 i, and set-screw 26 against the spring 25; and a channel 3% connecting the slot C with the keyway 28 for equalizing fiuid pressure on either side of the piston 23.

Relative to the action of the device, the spring 22 stations the linkage and solenoid core 55 in -the up, inactive position while the spring 25 stations the piston 28 in the up or non-throttling position against the set-screw 28. The solenoid coil 52 draws the core 16 and linkage downwardly against the spring 22 with the set-screw 26 depressing the piston 23 relative to the block 55 against the spring 25, and it is important to note, that, while the spring 25 may be positively abutted, it is preferably variably abutted by the solenoid core it so that the spring 25 moves up and down with the piston and associated linkage furnishing the resilient adjustment relative to longitudinal position between the piston 23 and its activating linkage. In other words, in the preferred illustrated embodiment, all the moving parts move up and down together with the spring 25 and set-screw 26 providing means for adjusting the longitudinal position of the piston 23 relative to the linkage and the block l5 so that the needle-point-channel D can be adjusted. as to longitudinal point of communication in its diminishing cross-section with the supply orifice A for selectively adjusting the rate of regulating or throttling or the liquid flow between the orifices A and B via the slot C.

In operation, the device is installed in exhaust line of a liquid system, such as a hydraulic cylinder, where it is desired to finely throttle the exhaust flow from the system at a certain time or for a set period such as on a hydraulically-fed machine to slowly advance the feed to facilitate finish working. In this instance, the exhaust flow is unthrottled via the slot C of the inventive device during the initial stages of working, or stock removal, and then, at the finishing stage, the solenoid coil 12 is powered to activate the inventive device so that the piston 23 moves the needle-point-channel D into selected constricting relation with the orifice A thereby throttling the liquid flow from the hydraulic cylinder slowing down the feed in the machine to facilitate finish working. Obviously, many other uses for the device can easily be recognized by those skilled in the art of liquid systems, and it has been found that a needle-point-channel .006 wide and .015" deep in maximum cross-section at the point of juncture with the slot C tapering to extinction or termination in a longitudinal distance of .250 is'suitable for throttling and, obviously, these specifications may be varied as desired and water or air can be substituted for oil as the liquid or fluid to be regulated.

Relative to adjustment of the inventive device to achieve difierent rates of flow of the liquid or fluid being regulated, the piston 23 is adjustable relative to the block it as to its farthest downward position in its stroke via the setscrew and the spring 25 so that at the bottom of the stroke of the piston 25, as activated by the described linlrage, the point of communication on the needle-point-channel D which is communicating with the orifice A can be varied so that the diminishing cross-sectional area of the channel D can be adjusted relative to the orifice A to adjustably determine the rate of throttling via the selected point on the diminishing channel D. In other words, the rate or" throttling can be varied by varying the bottom position of the piston 23 which in turn positions either a larger cross-section of the needle-point-channel D or a smaller cross-section of the needle-pointchannel D at the orifice A to provide adjustable fine throttling of the flow at the orifice A.

In the event one rate of throttling is desired, this rate can be determined and set on the device. I-iowever, due to the fact that fluid or liquid under pressure is highly abrasive, the cross-sectional area of the slot D communicating with the orifice A will become worn and enlarged permitting more flow than desired; in this event, the device can then be re-set with a smaller crosssection of the channel D communicating with the orifice A achieving the first desired rate of flow and compensating thereby for the interim wear on the piston 23 due to the abrasive action of the liquids flowing thereon.

If a clot is present in the fiuid, it will enter the inventive device at the orifice A and if the clot is small enough to enter the needle-point-channel D, it will immediately be ejected therefrom-due to the fact that its point of entry will be the smallest point of the channel containing fiow and due to the fact that the walls expand in the direction of the rate or flow, the clot will be ejected from the needle-point-channel D.

However, in the event the clot is larger than the communicating cross-sectional area of the channel D, the clot will not enter the channel D but will position itself over the channel preventing further fiow of the liquid or fluid; this clot will be cleared when the piston 23 rises in the block 15 taking the needle-point-channel D out of communication with the orifice A and putting the slot C into full communication with the orifice A, which slot 0, being as cross-sectionally large as the orifice A, will easily communicate the slot out of the inventive device thereby eliminating clogging.

Should a clot jam in the needle-point-channel D, and should the piston 23 have to be removed from the block [5, the clot can be dislodged from the channel D with an instrument without damaging the slot D due to the fact that the channel I) increases in one direction and even in the event that the channel D should become scored or enlarged due to the necessary cleaning, the variable adjustable characteristics of the device will allow the device to be adjuted to compensate for the slight enlargement of the channel D resulting from the cleaning.

Although but a single embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail, it is obvious that many changes may be made in the size, detail, shape, and arrangements of the elements of the invention, such as narrowing the needle-point-slot D in depth only or in width only, or providing manual or other controls, within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a liquid volume of flow regulating device for selectively controlling the volume of flow of liquids under pressure, a housing having a piston chamber and two spaced liquid conducting orifices communicating with said chamber, a piston disposed in and normally filling the chamber of said housing to seal said chamber, said housing having a slot permitting communication between the spaced orifices for freely transmitting liquid from one orifice to the other and having a diminishing needle-point-groove communicating with the slot at one end thereof; said piston being movable relative to said housing to move the slot out of communicaticn with one of the orifices of said housing and to move the needle-point-groove into communication with said one orifice for restricting the flow of liquid between the orifices, said needle-point-groove diverging in the direction of flow of said fluid when flowing from one orifice to the other whereby said needle-point-groove presents its smallest cross-section to said one orifice and constantly increases in cross-section in a direction toward said other orifice.

2. In a liquid volume of flow regulating device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said piston is provided with adjusting mean enabling said needlepoint-groove to be adjusted to a desired position for varying the flow of said liquid.

SHUBEL A. FOSTER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 651,381 Peters June 12, 1900 1,195,188 Dafiern Aug. 22, 1916 1,318,101 Neesham Oct. 7, 1919 1,392,952 Link Oct. 11, 1921 1,534,691 Darby Apr. 21, 1925 1,619,937 Huff Mar. 8, 1927 2,134,778 Clarke Nov. 1, 1938 2,168,774 Hurlburt Aug. 8, 1939 2,190,575 Tabb Feb. 13, 1940 2,211,646 Cole Aug. 13, 1940 

